A trompe l'oeil of a gun rack holding a flag, a sword, two pikes and a musket, with a watch, a drum, a trumpet, and guns hanging on a white wall

There is scarce documentation about Johann Michael Hambach, who is known for his trompe l'oeil and still-life paintings. He was likely influenced by Cornelis Biltius— celebrated for his trompe l'oeils of weaponry and hunting paraphernalia, similar to the present painting—who worked in Cologne in the 1670s. Hambach was accepted into the Guild of Cologne in 1673. He later participated in the rebellion led by Nikolaus Gülich in 1680, a movement directed against corruption within the court. For his involvement, Hambach was convicted in 1686.

This painting was previously attributed to Vicente Victoria, a Spanish painter who served as court painter to Cosimo III de' Medici. Contemporary sources describe trompe l'oeils in Victoria's studio, although no signed examples are known. As a result, attributions have traditionally relied on these textual descriptions. Dr. Peter Cherry and Dr. William B. Jordan questioned several works formerly attributed to Victoria, including a pair of trompe l'oeils in the Osuna collection, Seville and another in the Museo del Prado, Madrid (inv. no. P002934). They instead proposed that these paintings should be attributed to Jacobus Biltius, father of Cornelis, and also known for his hunting-themed trompe l'oeils.